QT 3/26/2026 Exo 20:1–17, The missing commandment

Exodus 20:1–17 (ESV) —

1 And God spoke all these words, saying,

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

13 “You shall not murder.

14 “You shall not commit adultery.

15 “You shall not steal.

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

 

NOTE: These are the ten commandments. This is the first time God gives them and he speaks them in the hearing of all the people. The people's response to hearing God's commands is to let Moses do all the hearing from God lest they die (Exo 20:19). Jesus also reiterates all the ten commandments during his ministry but one, the Sabbath. In fact, the three instances where the Sabbath (which is Fri sunset to Sat sunset) comes up, Jesus scolds the people for how they implement it, and he never commands the Sabbath to his disciples.

So is the Sabbath required for believers? A lot of people will point to pre-law as an argument for the Sabbath, such as God resting on the seventh day. But pre-law does not make the Sabbath part of the law of Christ. There is law in the NT, but it is the things that Jesus commands.

 

Galatians 6:2 (ESV) — Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

 

Having said all that, I think the Sabbath is a good thing, especially in a day and age where stress probably causes more health problems than at any time in human history. Surprisingly, life is easier and safer, but our "screens" and pace of life has made life more stressful. We need rest, and the idea of a Sabbath or a day of rest can be a good thing -- BUT, it is not a law -- which is where the Pharisees got it wrong.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I take regular rests to recharge my batteries?
2. Do I live by rules or be the spirit of the New Covenant law?

Romans 13:8–10 (ESV) — 8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

 

PRAYER: Lord, we are to love people, not follow rules without any heart. Forgive us for dogmatic lifestyles that do not present the love of Christ to others. Help us to live in a spirit of true love, not fake or showy love.